I am Emperor Shizu of Song

Chapter 26 Seed Rounds Are Designed to Lose Money

Liang Feng's opinion is not really brilliant, but it is indeed the truth in his heart.

After hearing this, Zhao Zicheng could only shake his head helplessly.

Sure enough, most of the military generals of the Song Dynasty now have this idea.

In their view, the expansion of the Xiang Army by the imperial court was just a big basket to "shelter the landless, unemployed and hungry people". Anyone who couldn't make a living and wanted to cause trouble would be put in it. All they had to do was give them food to prevent them from rebelling.

As for combat effectiveness, there's no hope at all. Just make sure people don't starve to death and keep pretending is enough.

They also sincerely believed that neither the Liao nor the Western Xia were a threat, believing that both were rotten. Since both were bad militarily and the Song Dynasty's economy was strong, the Song Dynasty could rely on economic victory. What was there to be afraid of?

"You are short-sighted. Just because you see that the Liao people are corrupt and decadent, and the Western bandits are fighting among themselves and are suppressed, do you think that the world is safe?" Zhao Zicheng couldn't help but shout.

"On the contrary, now is the time for warriors to achieve great things and stand up for China and the Han people! Since ancient times, whenever the northern barbarian regimes showed any sign of 'degeneration' and became civilized, they would naturally be replaced by new barbarians, threatening the Central Plains.

During the Eastern Han Dynasty, the Southern Xiongnu and Wuhuan declined and even surrendered to the Han Chinese. They were then replaced by the Xianbei, who began to threaten the northern border. Later, as more and more Hu people surrendered, the Han Chinese became embroiled in internal strife, leading to the Five Barbarians Invasion of China.

After much difficulty, the Xianbei people became civilized, assimilated into Han Chinese systems, and moved their capital from Pingcheng to Luoyang. However, the Rouran quickly overtook them, leading to a mutiny in the Six Garrisons, and the dismemberment of the Northern Wei. The Southern Liang dynasty at the time was similar to how you think today, but ultimately couldn't even defeat Hou Jing. Decades later, the Northern Dynasties reunited, and the Southern Dynasties were completely destroyed.

From the Xiongnu to the Xianbei, and from the Xianbei to the Rouran, the Turks, and finally the Khitan, it's impossible for the northern Hu peoples to completely cease to pose a threat simply by being assimilated into the Han culture. Now that the Khitans have assimilated into the Han culture, I believe the Jurchens and Shiwei of Liaodong and Bohai could replace them at any time. If the Great Song Dynasty doesn't know how to be vigilant in times of peace, I'm afraid... Alas!

Some things cannot be said too advanced or too explicitly, so Zhao Zicheng could only stop there. Having said that, the rest was hidden in that long sigh.

The Liang family father and son did not read much history, and were a little confused by Zhao Zicheng's words that drew lessons from the past and were very insightful. It took them a while to come to their senses.

They had never seen a civil servant like Zhao Zicheng who was so concerned about the country and the people and was so alert and sensitive in military affairs.

"Mr. Zhao is indeed well-read. He can stand out among the students of the Imperial College. His knowledge is indeed extraordinary." Liang Feng said half sincerely and half to smooth things over, but then he changed the subject.
"But even though we know this, there's nothing we can do. The imperial court only has so much food and money, and it's simply not enough to support the army. And even if we want to change it, where can we start?"

Zhao Zi said that he didn't have a comprehensive plan for the time being, and it was not convenient for him to talk too much, so he could only give the other party some general tips for Liang Hongyu's sake:

"As long as we are willing to rectify the situation, even if we are short of money and food, there are still many things we can do. For example, we can start by investigating the empty salaries, enforcing military discipline, and strictly prohibiting officers and soldiers from privately extorting money from merchants and travelers."

As the saying goes, the army is about serving whoever feeds you.

The money distributed by the imperial court was embezzled at every level, leaving it insufficient to support so many people. Officers were forced to resort to unpaid salaries and extra income. However, this also led to the decentralization and fragmentation of financial power, with officers at every level deceiving their superiors and those below them.

The commander-in-chief does not know the actual combat power of each battalion, and the commander does not know the actual combat power of each team.

The commander-in-chief thought he only took 30% of the unearned salary, but in fact his subordinates also took 30%, and their subordinates took another 30%.

When we really encounter a strong enemy, we pull them out and take a look, and we find that their actual combat strength is only 0.7 cubed, only 30% left, and 70% of their troops are empty.

Moreover, the main rebel leaders in the Jiangnan region in the future will all come from private business backgrounds.

Fang La himself was engaged in a lacquer garden and cash crops, not a traditional grain farmer.

Many of his generals were salt smugglers.

Historically, many rebel forces in Jiangdong started out as private salt dealers. Qian Liu during the Five Dynasties and Zhang Shicheng during the late Yuan Dynasty were both private salt dealers.

The local army controlled by the Liang family is usually responsible for patrolling the canal transport across the river and collecting commercial taxes. If they collude with private merchants and are infiltrated like a sieve, once a war breaks out, the official army will become a one-way transparent existence.

Therefore, Zhao Zicheng’s suggestion may not be applicable to the entire Song Dynasty, but it is definitely applicable locally.

Zhao Zicheng tried every possible means to persuade the Liang father and son, and even cited several historical examples, and finally made them realize this.

However, even after realizing this, the Liangs were at a loss as to what to do. If they were to address the issue of the military secretly accepting bribes and facilitating private businesses, it would be like scraping the bone to cure the poison, and they wouldn't even be able to cover their own expenses.

Zhao Zi said he didn't want to waste any more time talking, and decided to offer some benefits to encourage the other party to continue cooperating. This was also a way of saying that if you want to get something, you must give it first.

"You'll have to figure out a solution yourself, but since we've all become friends, and I see you're willing to put things right, I'll give you an introduction to help alleviate your financial and food woes a little, so you don't think my scholarly opinions are empty."

As Zhao Zicheng spoke, he whispered a few words to Deng Yue beside him. Deng Yue then went to get two down jackets and two down quilts and put them on the desk.

The Liang family father and son looked at it and didn't understand what it meant for a moment. They were very suspicious: "These are..."

Zhao Zi said, "This is a new way to make money that I have thought of. If you learn it, it will increase your income and alleviate the shortage of money and food caused by the rectification of military discipline."

However, before Zhao Zicheng finished speaking, the Liang family father and son became nervous:
"This is inappropriate. As military commanders, we know we shouldn't make friends with members of the royal family. Young Master Zhao must be asking for something when he's courteous to others. Let's just forget about this matter."

The reactions of the Liang family father and son were not surprising.

The Song Dynasty was very strict about guarding against military commanders. If a member of the Zhao family paid out of their own pocket to help raise troops, it would be a taboo to spread the news. Even if they did not directly provide money, but only offered advice, it would still be very sensitive.

Zhao Zicheng knew the other party must be worried about his ulterior motives. "Do you think I'm being too polite?" Zhao Zicheng bluntly stated.

The Liang family father and son did not hide their feelings: "Please forgive us, sir. We really don't understand why you would help us for no reason. Is there something you want us to do?"

Zhao Zi said: "In fact, there is nothing for you to do, but I have always been prepared for danger in times of peace. I was in Suzhou and witnessed Zhu Zhen's actions with my own eyes. I know that if the Yingfeng Bureau continues to plunder like this, sooner or later there will be changes in Jiangnan. I just want to have more burrows and make more good friends.

The troops in Su, Xiu and other places were even more vulnerable than those in Yangzhen. The naval forces of Yangzhen and Zhenzhen had to protect the key points of grain transport and the throat of crossing the river, while the hinterland of Jiangdong was completely unarmed.

I am destined to return to Suzhou or Xiuzhou to serve as an official in the future, and I don’t want to be left without help when I’m in a hurry.”

This reason was barely convincing, and the two parties were talking behind closed doors, and it was still unknown how great the benefits Zhao Zicheng promised were and what conditions were attached.

The Liang family father and son finally decided to listen to it first.

Even if they are just strangers, there is no harm in listening to them. If they are really unreliable, just don't agree.

Zhao Zicheng briefly explained, "These quilts are all filled with duck down, making them extremely light and warm. Furthermore, I've used a secret method to make the duck down no longer smelly and extremely difficult to rot, so it can last for years."

Jiangdong is a land of plenty, rich in fish and rice, and has a rich history of raising waterfowl. It's practically free for soldiers to purchase duck feathers. As long as they're handled properly, they can be sold to the bitter cold north in the future, and there's no need to worry about not getting a high price.

Zhen and Yang are located at the intersection of the Yangtze River and the Grand Canal, and transportation between the north and the south is convenient. If you can take advantage of patrolling the canal and making friends with many wealthy businessmen from the north and the south, then you will no longer have to worry about no one to help you with transportation and distribution?

However, I want to do this business myself, and the political achievements will also be mine. You are not civil servants, so there is no need to worry about political achievements. After learning my method, you are only allowed to do this business in Yang, Zhen, and Jiangning. You are not allowed to sell to Suzhou, Changzhou, Huzhou, Xiu, etc.

This amount of money and food may not be enough to support the army, but it can be considered as increasing revenue and reducing expenditure, and it is also my sincere gesture. I hope Brother Liang will take good care of himself and use this as an excuse to seriously enforce military discipline and thoroughly investigate corruption and corruption within the army. When the court needs you in the future, you will be able to make great achievements.

After listening carefully, the Liang family father and son realized that the scale of the deal was not very large, and Zhao Zicheng's teaching them was definitely not completely free. They estimated that when they made a profit, they would also give a small tribute, as if drinking water should not forget the well digger.

This is just a preliminary exploration of mutual trust and cooperation between the two sides.

If the Liang family accepted this offer, Zhao Zicheng would definitely privately check on the Liang family's progress when he passed through Zhenjiang on his way back from Bianjing. If the Liang family father and son were only focused on making money and not rectifying military discipline, there would probably be no further cooperation.

"Mr. Zhao trusts us and isn't afraid that we will deny our obligations after receiving this first benefit." Liang Feng was still a little bit incredulous.

"Because I can afford the loss. This tiny profit is nothing to me. I use it to test potential partners. It's just right. I'll accept the loss."

Zhao Zi said his current mentality is like that of a seed-stage investor. If I lose, I lose. The seed round isn't much money to begin with; it's just a way to test the entrepreneur's character.

The Liang family father and son were actually somewhat moved. Although this was very strange, they had never felt that the civil officials of the Song Dynasty would trust military men like them so much.

"Well, although I don't know what other plans you have, you are so open and honest, we can't let you down. When you return from Bianjing, you can stop by to see the changes in the state's navy."

"Then it's settled."

After Zhao Zicheng finished speaking, he briefly introduced the down technology he had come up with, wrote a few pages of notes for the other party, and left a letter, telling them that if they had any questions, they could go to Xiuzhou to find the Zhao family for detailed learning.

There is a handwritten letter from Zhao Zicheng, and his nephew who is in charge of the family business will teach him.

"Mr. Zhao doesn't need any other conditions?" Liang Feng finally confirmed.

Zhao Zicheng laughed. He knew that if he didn't order anything, the other party would feel uncomfortable and insecure.

"In that case, I'll ask you for something too—the military doctor you just sent to treat Brother Murong's injuries looks very skilled. My journey to Bianjing is treacherous, and my guards have already suffered casualties, so I'll borrow him."

Just now when they were talking about business, Zhao Zicheng asked about the military doctors sent by the other party, and accidentally learned that the famous doctor in the lead was from Jiangning Prefecture, named An Daoquan - isn't that the miracle doctor in Water Margin?

It is also reasonable that the medical officers from Nanjing were seconded to the Jianghuai Water Defense Force in Zhenjiang.

If the Liang father and son want to be officially transferred, they will definitely have to go through some trouble, but this has nothing to do with Zhao Zicheng.

Borrowing this person just makes the other party feel at ease. Otherwise, this cooperation will seem fake.

As expected, the Liangs agreed immediately and breathed a sigh of relief. A long-term partnership is built on give and take.

The two sides drank and chatted for a while, discussing their experiences in military training and the dangers of the martial world. Zhao Zi said he would rest in Yangzhou for a day to allow his wounded to recover, and then he set out again on his journey north.

"When Mr. Zhao first saw Xiaoyu, his eyes seemed strange. I originally thought he was planning to take Xiaoyu. But I didn't expect that in the end he was just going to take Doctor An away."

After Zhao Zicheng left, the Liang family father and son could not help but discuss this privately. Liang Feng always felt that he could not see through the other party's true intentions.

His father was more open-minded than him: "What's the point of thinking about these things? He is from the Yingfeng Bureau, it's not easy to offend him. Let's just try it out as he says.

He is a member of the imperial clan and a civil servant, so it would be easy for him to plot against Xiaoyu. This dynasty values ​​civil officials over military officials, and with Xiaoyu's background, it would be extremely difficult for her to marry a respectable civil servant."

(End of this chapter)